Missing Scenes & Epilog for You Don't Hear the One That Gets You
by Voyager Tip
Summary: Hardcastle helps Mark deal with the shock of seeing the 20,000 prize money burning up, not to mention getting shot by a nutcase.
1. Burning

Ch 1 Burning

Mark McCormick stood in the parking lot of the motel staring at the fire that was consuming the money he had won. He could feel the heat on his face, and he could feel a coldness that began in his mind and engulfed his chest. He felt like he should do something, but what? He couldn't seem to move.

Hardcastle watched his friend from behind, noting the body language. He could tell that McCormick was in shock. Melissa's rantings just a few moments ago had jangled Hardcastle's nerves too. She was a real nut case, a real piece of work. That she thought McCormick would try to save her from prosecution was almost too much to understand.

That, and the pain of the gunshot wound, and the fever, not to mention the shock of losing all the money he'd won were enough to wear anyone down, he thought.

Finally, Milt walked up and stood beside McCormick for a moment before he put his hand on his good shoulder.

"Let's go back to the hotel so you can lie down," he said quietly.

McCormick continued staring at the flames and didn't answer.

"Hey," the judge began, "kiddo, it's time to leave," and he reached for Mark's good arm and turned him around and headed him in the direction of the Coyote.

As they walked, he pointed to the deputy and barked out "I need to file a report, you know where I'll be."


	2. McCormick's Point of View

Authors Comment: In this story I am experimenting with writing from different points of view.

H&amp;McC

"_How did I get into the car?"_ McCormick thought to himself.

The vehicle moved slightly and pain shot through his arm as he realized Hardcastle was there too.

"_He got me into the car,"_ Mark realized. "_I can't even move around on my own. Can't even drive. I'm a loser."_

He closed his eyes and turned away from the judge.

The road was rough so the ride was rough. Each bump sent waves of pain through his shoulder.

Finally, a hand touched his uninjured arm, then shook it. He knew there were words, but all he could feel was a darkness permeating his whole being… and pain of course, and it was hot.

When his arm shook, Mark reluctantly opened his eyes and saw the outstretched palm with 2 pills in the center.

He didn't have the strength to refuse, so he took the pills and a sip of water from a cup that also appeared and then turned away again. The judge obviously didn't think he could do anything for himself. His thoughts returned to darkness. "_I guess I really am a loser," _he thought.

When the engine cut out, Mark heaved a sigh of relief. His shoulder pain had been dulled by the pills, but he felt spent, emotionally and physically, and he just wanted to rest. The adrenaline that had kept him going all day, was gone now and he had no energy for anything.

The wing door opened then, and Mark felt himself gently pulled out of the car. He was nudged along through a doorway and then he was sitting on a bed, a cup of water suddenly in his hand, and the word 'drink' found its way into his brain.

He drank, and another pill appeared.

He didn't know what else the judge might have said, but he didn't care.

Suddenly the room turned sideways, and he realized he was laying down. He felt the blanket under his chin and something was happening with his feet.

He opened his eyes and watched the judge pulling his sneakers off. "_Why is he doing this?"_


	3. Hardcastle's Point of View

Hardcastle's POV ch3

The judge pulled the wing door open and eased McCormick down into the seat. He was strangely docile, given the amount of pain he was probably in. Well, the first stop would be the pharmacy, that was for sure. The kid was going to take the pills the doctor had ordered, come hell or high water.

Hardcastle glanced at Mark as he started the engine. The kid was facing away from him and his body language seemed to communicate a feeling of hopelessness.

"Hang on kiddo," Hardcastle said. "I'm gonna get you some relief from that pain, but you gotta take it, okay? No more refusing things. What I say goes from now on."

There was no answer. No acknowledgement that he had even heard.

As Hardcastle drove, he spoke again.

"You just rest kiddo."

He left Mark in the Coyote when they got to the pharmacy. At the desk he pulled the crumpled prescriptions out of his pocket and shrugged when the druggist eyed him suspiciously as he flattened it out.

"This for you?"

"My friend is outside. He got shot… you can come see him if you want to," Hardcastle told him.

The pharmacist walked over to the window and glanced out.

"Just being careful," he said, "I'll have this for you in a minute."

"I'll take a bottle of water too," the judge said, "I want him to start as soon as possible."

ooOoo

Back in the car, the judge patted Mark's arm and said his name until his eyes opened.

"Come on kiddo," Milt said, and watched closely until the pills were swallowed and the water was finished. He didn't like the way the kid was looking; the pain he could understand, but there also seemed to be something else, something akin to despair. It seemed so out of place in someone who was usually so upbeat.

He knew that Mark had overcome many obstacles in his life, yet he always seemed to have a positive outlook. Not today though. Today, he looked like life had beaten him down again, but this time he wasn't trying to get back up.

"Hang in there kiddo, I'll get you into a bed soon," Milt told him, though he wasn't sure Mark knew what he was saying.

ooOoo

Once they arrived back at the hotel, it was a fairly easy matter to help the ex con out of the car and into the room. The pain medication had obviously started to work. He wouldn't let him lay back at first, instead he gave him a second antibiotic pill, and another long drink of water.

Then, finally, he eased the kid back onto the bed and pulled up the covers.

Hardcastle stood staring at McCormick for a few seconds before he bent to untie the laces of his sneakers and slip them off.


	4. McCormicks POV

ch4

McCormick's POV

Mark opened his eyes and realized his shoulder felt much better. The pain was back because the medicine had worn off, but it was a different kind of pain. And he felt hungry.

He glanced over at the judge, who was watching TV with the volume so low that he would've had to lip read.

"Got anything to eat?" Mark asked.

"Hey, you're awake, how're ya doin?"

"Okay."

Hardcastle began to open both of the pill bottles and poured one of each out onto a paper plate that Mark had just noticed was next to the bed. Then a bottle of apple juice appeared and Hardcastle spoke.

"Take these and we'll talk about dinner."

"I don't think…"

"You'll take them and that's final," the judge said sternly.

_He thinks I can't do anything,_ Mark thought as he sighed. H_e's probably right._

The pills were swallowed, and Milt left to get burgers from the restaurant across the parking lot.

"_He didn't have to wait for me to wake up to eat," _Mark thought, as he glanced at the clock. It was 9 pm.

The food was consumed with a minimum of conversation, and Mark lay back and stared at the ceiling.

"Since you're awake, I think I'll call Frank, tell him what's goin on," the judge explained as he picked up the phone.

'_Great,"_ Mark thought, "_now there'll be someone else who'll know what a loser I am." _But, he didn't have the energy to tell the judge to stop, so he closed his eyes and let the judge do what he had to do.


	5. Half a Conversation

Hardcastles POV ch5

"_He needs a reminder of how great he is, of how great I think he is, but how can I do that?"_ Hardcastle asked himself as he ate the burger in relative silence.

After they finished, he suddenly he got an idea.

"Since you're awake, I think I'll call Frank, tell him what's goin on," he said, and then turned to the phone and began to dial.

"Hi Frank, it's Milt, … of course he won… and don't forget our bet... listen, not only did he break the track record, but the record was held by a guy who raced on that track all the time… no, I'm not kidding you… and this was McCormick's first time on that track… no way, you aren't backing out now… you did tell Claudia that you were betting her good cooking didn't you?…. oh I'm sorry to hear that… well we aren't really up for this weekend anyway."

There was a long pause before the judge again took up the story. "Well, you know how we have our share of adventures?...yeah, I know, but this time it wasn't my fault… well, we got held up for the prize money and McCormick got shot… yeah, he's okay, well, he's on medication and has to take it easy, but he'll be okay… yeah, we caught em… I know, but the kid's pretty stubborn, he had to go after them… just how was I supposed to stop him Frank?... yeah, we're just resting up, we should be home tomorrow… okay, I'll tell him, talk to you later… so long Frank."


	6. Mark's POV

McCormick's POV

Home tomorrow.

Home.

That simple word sounded so good.

Mark listened to the one sided conversation. It actually sounded like Hardcastle was proud of him. He had obviously bet Frank that Mark would win the race, and he was gloating over the fact that he had broken the track record.

"_How could I have forgotten that?"_ Mark thought.

It sounded like Claudia was going to be cooking them dinner. "_That's...nice,"_ he thought.

And the way the judge explained his getting shot, it didn't sound like he thought Mark was a loser at all.

He lay back on the bed, holding his arm tightly against his body.

Mark felt the pillow under his arm at the same time as he realized the judge had moved to the side of the bed.

"Where'd you get that?" he asked, glancing over to the other bed and noticing the other pillow was still there.

"From the housekeeper," Hardcastle answered.

Mark closed his eyes, "_why is he doing all this?" _he thought as he drifted off to sleep.

Hardcastle's POV

The judge watched him drift into a light sleep, then reached down and felt his forehead. He was still a little feverish, but not like it had been. He smiled to himself, the antibiotic was working. "_I'll get you sorted out kiddo,_" he thought as he turned back to the TV.


	7. Mark's Point of View

McCormick's POV ch7

He awoke with a start. Slowly he sat up and then walked into the bathroom. It was 2 am, and the judge was laying on the other bed in the room.

When he returned, he was surprised to find a milkshake on the bedside table, and Hardcastle sitting at the table again.

"What's this?" Mark asked.

"It's a milkshake."

"How did you…"

"I put it on ice so it would stay cold."

Mark picked up the cup and took a sip. It was chocolate, his favorite flavor, and it was delicious.

"This is really good," Mark said after his first sip.

"Time for your pills and then I want you to get some more sleep," Hardcastle said as he opened the bottles and motioned to Mark to hold out his hand. Cool water appeared next and the pills were taken without complaint.

"Thanks for the milkshake judge," Mark said and smiled for the first time since they had been robbed.

"Well, I didn't want you takin that medicine on an empty stomach."

"_And you had to think to buy it and get ice and save it for me,"_ Mark thought. He wasn't sure, but he thought that made it taste just a little bit better than if he'd gotten it himself.

Mark sipped on the milkshake in silence for a few minutes, then put it down and spoke.

"My uncle used to tell me I was a loser...every day."

"He was wrong," Hardcastle responded immediately.

Mark glanced up at him, and continued, "he said that's why my father left."

"He was an idiot."

"I believed him…. for awhile anyway."

"What kind of a man was he, to say those things to a kid?"

Mark paused, "I don't know. But even though I know it's not true, when bad things happen, I can still hear him so clearly, and it's like I'm transported right back to when I was 12."

"You lived with him right after your mother died?"

"Yeah."

"That makes it even worse."

"Why?"

"Because you were grieving. That's like kicking someone when they're down, and to do that to a kid, well, he deserves to be shot!" The venom in the judges voice startled Mark. The fact that he would be so angry on Mark's behalf was kind of ...nice.

"I never really thought about it that way," Mark said.

"You were probably just trying to get through every day. Sometimes you need to be removed from something so you can see things from a different perspective. It helps you understand what really happened."

Mark exhaled loudly, "well, I know what happened this time."

"This time, you were an innocent victim… just like when you were 12."

"That's not exactly what I was going to say."

"Listen kiddo, when life comes up and kicks you in the teeth, it's easy to feel down. When you're in pain, or when you have a fever, it's easy to stop caring about anything. Right now, you've got all three of those workin against ya, and I can see you feel a little beaten down, but you'll feel better once the infection is cleared up and the pain isn't so bad."

Mark stared at the jurist for a moment and then sighed, "well this time one thing IS different," he offered.

"What's that?"

"I've got you."

"Now yer cookin. Now go back to sleep."


	8. Resting

Mark's POV ch 8

He thought about the pills he had just swallowed, the ones that the judge had been giving him. It seemed different now, … just nice to have someone care about him. The judge had never said that he cared, but every now and then something would happen, or some word would slip out. Mark had been hesitant to believe it at first, but there was an awful lot of evidence piling up here and now.

Mark eased himself back down on the bed and tried to get comfortable as he watched the judge settle back into bed.

"_He's not doing all this because he thinks I'm a loser"_, he thought to himself before sleep claimed him.

Hardcastle's POV

The judge smiled to himself, pleased with the way the call to Frank had worked out. Frank had said just the right things for Hardcastle to respond to. He could see a change in McCormick's body language almost as soon as he hung up the phone.

He turned out the light and settled himself in bed, the ache in his heart easing as he heard McCormick's slow regular breathing. The kid was asleep already, and he needed it. Tomorrow they would start for home, and the Coyote wasn't exactly made for a smooth ride. He knew the kid would be hurting after a few hours of driving and hoped a good night's sleep would help him cope with the 6 hour trip tomorrow.


	9. A New Day

A New Day ch9

Sunlight was streaming through the window when McCormick opened his eyes the next morning. He glanced at the clock, then at the judge, who was sitting at the small table reading a paper.

"It's 9:30!" Mark said when he was awake enough to understand what that meant.

"Well, it's about time you decided to wake up," Hardcastle groused.

Mark sat up on the side of the bed.

"Before you get up," the judge's words were spoken at the same time as the two familiar pills were poured from their containers.

Mark shook his head. "Judge, I don't think I need..."

"Just humor me McCormick, that's all I want you to do!" Hardcastle shot back, interrupting what he was sure would be a refusal to take the medicine.

Mark paused, how could he refuse the request after all the judge had done for him? So, he reached for the medicine and quickly swallowed it.

A short time later, he was ready to go, and he paused by the table and turned over the newspaper the judge had been reading. "The Los Amigos Gazette?" he asked.

Hardcastle pulled it out of his hand, "come on wise guy," he said as he held the door open.

"Any interesting news?" Mark quipped with a smile as they left. He couldn't resist the opportunity of making the judge uncomfortable, because he knew Hardcastle would never admit that he was just killing time, waiting for Mark to wake up. That would be admitting that he was taking care of the ex-con and Mark knew the judge would never admit to that, even though that's exactly what he was doing.

Suddenly, everything the judge had done came back into focus. He hadn't brought McCormick back to the hotel, put him to bed and force fed him the pills because he thought he was a loser. He'd done it because he cared about him. Mark had to swallow hard and turn his head away from Hardcastle as they walked together over to the office to check out.


	10. Home

ch 10 home

Mark reluctantly motioned to the drivers side door of the Coyote, then walked around and climbed in as a passenger. It would be a 6 hour drive home, and as they began driving, he knew it would be an uncomfortable ride.

They didn't talk much, so Mark was surprised when they pulled into a restaurant parking lot three hours later and came to a stop.

"Time for another pill," Hardcastle said as he reached behind the seat and a rustling sound could be heard. He pulled out a bottle of water and handed it to his partner, then handed him a pill.

"This is cold… you've got ice back there?"

"Stop stalling and drink hotshot," was the gruff answer.

Mark did, with a feeling of contentment that surprised him.

"We'll take a break and get a bite to eat here, then get back on the road," the judge explained, and suddenly it became obvious that he had planned this stop to give Mark a break from jostling around in the Coyote.

Mark's shoulder was aching, but he smiled, "whatever you say judge."

"I'll have you home by tonight," Hardcastle continued.

"I'm already home judge," Mark answered, thinking that home wasn't a place, it was a person.

It was the judge.

The End


End file.
